Lemont Man Charged With Cruelty After Police Find Neglected Animals in Barn

A dog was tied to a post, choking itself on a 5-foot chain wrapped around its neck. Four pigs were crammed in a room. Dogs were barking, and the smell of feces hung in the air. That was the scene that greeted a police officer at a barn rented by a Lemont man off of 123rd Street and Wolf Road in .

Jozef Maka, 49, of the 13300 block of Fox Hill Drive in Lemont, was charged with cruelty to animals, failure to provide rabies shots, failure to clean feces and unsafe living conditions, police said.

Police were called Sunday to the area of 123rd and Wolf, after a resident reported what sounded like nine gunshots. While investigating the area, an officer detected the smell of fireworks, police said.

He then came across a strong smell and numerous animals barking from inside a barn, police said. Through open windows a large white dog was seen chained up, without any sign of food or water, police said.

Through other open windows, four pigs locked in a room and another dog with a short chain wrapped around its neck could be seen, police said. Other animal sounds could be heard as well.

After animal control arrived on the scene, police said chickens, roosters and rabbits were also found in deplorable conditions. In the back of the barn, officers reported finding a fire pit that appeared to have been used for burning dead animals. Four dogs, four goats, eight rabbits and five pigs were found in total, police said. 

There was little to no sign of food or water for any of the captive animals, windows were open in the barn with no heat, and the temperature was below freezing, police said.

Many of the animals had infected wounds all over their bodies, police said.

The resident of a home on the property told police she rents the house while another man rents the barn. She reported that someone usually came three times a week to feed the animals and burn feces behind the barn, police said.  

The animals were recovered by the Animal Welfare League and a few have already had to be put down, police said. 

Maka is expected to appear in court Feb. 7.